If the Senate bill passes, here’s what happens immediately

Adult children may remain as dependents on their parents’ policy until age 26

Children under age 19 may not be excluded for pre-existing conditions

No more lifetime or annual caps on coverage

Free preventative care for all

Adults with pre-existing conditions may buy into a national high-risk pool until the exchanges come online. While these will not be cheap, they’re still better than total exclusion and get some benefit from a wider pool of insureds.

Small businesses will be entitled to a tax credit for 2009 and 2010, which could be as much as 50% of what they pay for employees’ health insurance.

The “donut hole” closes for Medicare patients, making prescription medications more affordable for seniors.

Requirement that all insurers must post their balance sheets on the Internet and fully disclose administrative costs, executive compensation packages, and benefit payments.

Authorizes early funding of community health centers in all 50 states (Bernie Sanders’ amendment)

That's the Gospel truth!Americans will be much better off than they are now.At least we'll have recourse against the Ins. Co.s & our children will B covered 'til they're 26.That's Great!The Ins. Indstry has spent at least $100 million to defeat it they're scared 2Death of Regulation!Now we've got to get the 2B2Fail Banks under regulation.The SEC needs a re-do!

Free preventative care for all? Is that part of the community health centers portion of the bill? A lot of expensive procedures could be construed as preventative care, and I'm pretty sure you don't mean they all will be free.

People with pre-existing conditions will still have portability problems. If they lose their job or leave their job, they will be stuck with the much more expensive high-risk pool.

This all sounds wonderful, and good on Obama for pushing for it. But what troubles me is the funding. I read estimates that by 2050 the U.S. health budget alone will be more than all the other budgets put together. Of course, estimations/predictions are only that – but for America and the rest of the world, I truly hope the Democrats have done their sums.

Polyanna are you in the business? You have a mandate to the insurance companies to provide well care without copay or deductible, must include adult children to the age of 25 or 26 must take all children regardless of existing conditions.

Premiums will rise which will cause people to cancel their policies. The insured pool will get smaller and sicker (which is one of the main reasons CA rates went so high).

Insurance companies will eventually fail or more likely will be bailed out (bought really) by the goverment and hello universal socalistic health care.

Well, aren't you special? But you know what? That bright shiny thing that the Earth revolves around? That's not you. There are people out there who don't have health insurance and who do need and/or want this.

And as for never being turned down for insurance or treatment despite pre-existing conditions, I'd like to know where you learned the Jedi mind trick or whatever it is that makes the government bend to your will, because I had to fight and struggle for years before I was finally approved for insurance and treatment to fix my pre-existing conditions.

intresting, you don't poin out that you will be penalized if you don't elect to purchase health insurance..it's only free for those who are at poverty level, not those of us with jobs but just can't afford a mortgage and insurance..no, we'll get to pay the taxes and pay for the free health care for those who don't wanna work

I'm 23-years old and I applied for a $2,000 deductible plan with Blue Cross and was denied due to a preexisting condition. Want to know what condition? Ulnar-sided wrist pain in my left wrist that is of yet, undiagnosed.

Tell me how this bill is going to help me! I work, have insurance… Crappy Insurance. My insurance only covers $1500 per coverage year. I kid you not! I was just told by my Ortho Specialist, that I need a $7-12k surgery on my foot. I have 2 tendons that are COMPELTELY SHOT, so I need a “transfer of tendons”.

Again, please tell me what this bill is going to do for me. Is it going to help me get my surgery, pay for what I can't??? Because I cannot afford this!!! I need help too!!!

Did you know most insurance plans consider pregnany a pre-existing condition? How's that for unfair? No one should be denied coverage to protect their health, especially if they are already sick (or pregnant), not “except for” those individuals

Doughnut hole doesn't close immediately, it is phased in with a 250 credit immediately. Preventative care is for NEW policies, not existing. Pre Existing coverage for adults hits in 2013, kids now… would be nice if you actually read the bill before claiming expert status on parsing it.

We keep going over and over this, Samantha. You can choose not to drive or own a car. This mandate? Covers EVERY LIVING PERSON, regardless of whether they want it or not. It forces people who DON'T want it to buy it. All in the name of covering less than thirty million people (most of whom… get this… DIDN'T BUY IT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT IT).

And on top of this brilliance, they are going to use the IRS and power of the government to punish you if you don't — gasp! — buy insurance from the very companies who everyone is complaining about!

That's funny. Should I ask the same? I have RA. I'm not even thirty, and I will spend the rest of my life with a chronic condition; my joints are genuinely shot now. Are you gonna help me, Misty? Are you gonna pony up major tax dollars to pay for my care? You, personally: Will you help? Hm?

Well Steff, you and I are alot alike cause I too was diagnosed with RA 1 year ago. ANA + which means I have an 80% chance of developing Lupus later in life. So stop trying to compete with my problems. I am not willing to pay for other people's problems & insurance when I can't even pay for my own.

Number 4 is incorrect. It should read, “•Require new plans to cover preventive services and immunizations without cost-sharing”, which is very different. Uninsured people still do not get preventative care. At least, not yet.

At what cost?! There are much easier and less costly (some even at no cost) solutions to address each of these “benefits.” Your listing of benefits only is like saying “Buy this house, you can enjoy 20 rooms of pleasure, a personal golf course, a full staff of personal attendants, and your life will be taken care of” without discussing that it will cost you more than all the income you currently are making or will ever make in the future, you will be a slave to your lender, and you will have to chop off three of your four limbs, … but hey, its a great house! We cannot afford this bill and it will permanently damage our country's health and freedom. Return to the Constitution, the federal government is NOT the answer – it is the problem – the founders limitted its powers for a reason. The States need to push back and reclaim their liberty and self-governance per the 9th and 10th Amendments. If you want a Federal Government solution, then put together an Ammendment to the Constitution and we can all vote for or against it. Respectful cheers.

Really? It's been a week since you've been asked to cite a source for “free preventative care for all,” which is a MASSIVE statement, and you just haven't even bothered? And now people are touting this as fact? In fact, you haven't cited a single source for any claim you make. I know that some of them are true (having been to websites that CITE THEIR SOURCES), but how am I supposed to believe anything you say?

Why don't you read the bill, Jessica. Free preventative care talks about your entitlement to annual visits to the doctor or a check-up if you think something unusual is going on. Generally, there is a deductable on your insurance for this type of visit and that won't be allowed anymore. The insurer MUST pay for that. Having checkups annually and for suspected ailments will save the health care system lots of money because problems will be caught before they escalate into major problems with their attendant expenses. Right now, lots of people won't even go to a doctor for a check-up because they don't want to have to pay for the deductable and Americans live with the fear of finding out something that will bankrupt them…You know this; A lot of people are just afraid to go to the doctor. Once the provisions kick in that won't penalize pre-existing conditions AND people can feel secure about going for checkups, it will be a good thing. Don't be so negative. Every other country in the Western world allows a person to go for a checkup without paying out of pocket. Remember: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure (and very likely billions of dollars in savings to the system)!

Number 7 is completely wrong. In 2010, there is a maximum $250 rebate for seniors who self-pay the entire $1720 “donut hole”. In 2011, we get a 50% discount on some but not all drugs while in the hold. And it is only in 2020 that Part D will finally cover 75% of total drug costs in what used to be the gap known as the donut hole. We will still pay deductibles, copays, and mandatory monthly premiums just for prescription coverage (in addition to Part B medical deductibles and copays). Identical drugs from Canada are still forbidden and will not be covered at all–a huge benefit handed over to Big Pharma. Prices will continue to rise, and new drugs will not be covered at anywhere the rate that generics are. Get your facts straight before trumpeting health reform triumphs that don't exist yet.